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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-04-29, Page 56s Page .22 Makings rock ,garden By Burke McNeill Extension Horticulturist, • OMAF Many gardeners • have visions 'of .a beautiful rock garden as soon as they see:a slope or a terraced situation. Their visions are usually very realistic, but here realism often stops. They do not take into account the work required to develop and maintain the site. Nothing looks worse than a poorly planned and poorly main- tained rock garden. Site selection is the most important decisionto make once you have decided .to plant a rock garden. Well - drained Vocations are a necessity. If drainage is poor, a gravel and stone base should be provided. Rock gardens should also blend with the surrounding terrain. For instance, a mound of stone and earth in the middle of a flat front yard 'is not a 'good choice of location. -It will always look like a.mound of dirt. Blend. .your - rock garden into the surroundings, so it will look like a natural part of the overall scene, • Most plant material used in rock gardens comes from mountains, and this is the type, of a scene that, gar- deners are trying to imitate in their yards, When plan- ning your rock garden, try to picture 'how this • would -'look in natural surroundings. There are .many "do's" and "don'ts" In rock garden construction. For detailed advice consult the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food publication "Rack Gardens", (publication No. 38). 'This free publication' is available *frons a .local agricultural offices 6r by. writing to the Information Branch, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Legislative. Buildings, Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1A5. There are also many fine reference books on the subject, available in soft cover .editions at your local book stores and libraries. English gardenershave developed rock gardening into a fine art and publications from that country are particularly informative. Practically any low - growing plant material can be used in a' rockery. Both deciduous and evergreen shrubs, and many hundreds of herbaceous perennials, can be used effectively: Unfortunately, rock gar- dening is a very specialized 'form of gardening and en- thusiasts must look far and wide for many of the choice • plants; such as dryas, dracocephalium, erigeron and helianthemum. However, the backbone of any rockery is the moss phloxs, sedums, houseleeks Hens and. Chickens), candy-. tuft, perennial alyssum and thymes. These are readily available at most garden, centres, Cacti Corner beautiful cactus garden at the Dick Roorda residence near Clinton. The climate 111 H on County may get as hot as a desert in judghig�t from the most of Ms 100 cactus plants, . about. 50 varieties, out every summer where �suc- cessfully thrive and even flower. Here his son Robert, 10, eyes one of the uudque looking plants. (News -Record photo) row unique plants in our backyard Cactus plants (cacti) can provide an oasisfor the would - 'be gardener with' a fast -paced lifestyle. "These plants require very Hot idea for gardeners You will see more ornamental peppers sold as pot plants toward the year end, during the holiday season, Such crops are started in greenhouses during warm weather and require less artificial heat. But this still doesn't give home raise the soil temperature to about 75 degrees and make the seeds sprout within 10 to 14 days— much faster than on a cool win- dowsill. The fast sprouting, and formation of h°eavy stems and broad leaves that follows under Tricolor ornamental peppers - red, purple and yellow gardeners a selection of sarteries for flower garden use :n spring, just Lifter frost danger 'Therefore, it the idea of or- namental peppers appeals to you, plan on growing your own, from seeds. 11 isn't difficult. gardeners have been doing II for sears ',ran seeds about ft :o I() µrcks before the last killing'Irosr nt sour area, (rrnwmg ,uccessltrl crop„ nl peppers Ir0111 .cels c.11l• Int the use• cif Ilunresceri'i I,uhl, Noir don't need. it hill. expcnst%r llvlUfe ally I'.4. lip unit with if rtticsInt w(J (in 1li,'sc ,.tit he ,t vnnll n, n de sk tamp ,.r ,i . large as uI indieirtal 'I•,, 14' t'H1 „ 1.5)1 ,,,re tithe Ito! h, -.ill • .t,. ow;lis t„‘4. t.. L •. lights is hall' the se‘ret of su4Less The other half comes about three weeks later raise the lights or lower the seedlings 6 I'o 12 Inches. This distance hetwcen lights and plants grses the optimum light Ill tensity for growing seedlings and a desirable growing temperature range 'or 60 to 65 degrees—much cooler than needed for sprouting. Now that you have these healthy homegrown plants of or- namental peppers, what do you do with Ihem7-Tire most popular 'use is for edging beds o,f annual flowers or evergreen shruhs, wherever you hase full sun. ()r. you can imitate, public display gardens and group dozens of plants of each sanely in mass plantings, just as you would an- nual flowers. The choices in fruit shapes and colors won't disappoint you. Fruit shapes range from long. curved and finger-like to thimble, oval or round. Some varieties change col- ors from yellow to purple to red. others from purple to red. A few sclrietie, border on the btvarre: purple foliage, sometime, sarregaied in white, with black or. red fruits Almost all rhe or- namental peppers has short, erect plants ceepr the round fruited savers: Its plants are Cider than tali Note to gardeners in the deep south. under sour ‘ondnions of high humidity. ornamental pep pers may gross i to (i inches taller Than de,srthcd rn :dialogs. Prevent costly mistakes, buy shrubs with care Home gardeners can prevent costly mistakes by selecting trees and shrubs carefully, says Bob Fleming. Ontarilf Ministry of Agriculture and Food hor- I rcpu Iturist. Vf you are considering plants for hedges, remember deciduous plants generally grow faster and recover faster from damage than r• rgreens f), riduous hedges can ht• pruned h<ar,k Nod lrally to renew sign:. nil ,•crrrgrren hr•(1gr'- trees or shruhs whieh are sold hare root, look for plants with healthy root systems,” says Mr Fleming. "The roots should he brightly colored and plump." If you cant examine the roots, look at the plant itself "Thr• wand Should be brightly colored, plump and phahie--not brittle." says Mr F• Iemrng. Der (clonus trevs and shruhs ,,in h, plantcd to mid•Aprll a, si,r,n as the );r nu nil s wr,rkahlo 1''.' rFrrt•en, ,ire hells little attention, provided they receive enough light and minimal handling," says Bob Fleming, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food hor- ticulturist.,, Cacti are native to North, Central and South America. 'They are available in many, varieties, shapes and sizes. "M'ost people grow plants from a particular group, such as the Mammillarias (pin- cushion type) or Opuntias (or pad cactus)," says Fleming. "But one of the most attractive ways to grow and show cacti is to group different types in shallow containers." Cacti culture varies depending on the season. During the winter, the plants need bright light,_.cool tem- peratures, and very little water. Fleming recommends watering once every three to four weeks to prevent the plant tissues from shrivelling. During the spring and autumn, watering requirements increase to approximately every seven to 10 days. During the summer, the cacti require water every four to five days. ?Cacti must.. be protected from direct sunlight in the summer," says Fleming. "rig light spray is also beneficial to the plant in hot weather." Native plants The Kentucky Coffee Tree is • one of Canada's rare native trees that will grow well in southwestern Ontario. The picturesque tree can. reach a height of 50 feet. Huron Landscaping Ltd. 'MEMBER OF "Qt:‘,:' LANDSCAPE r.r 4r THEEs slims ONTARIO glati Oa CB PRUNING — trees and shrubs SURFACE PAVING — patio stone, Interlocking stone, brick SODDING AND SEEDING FENCING - rail style PRESSURE TREATED 6"x6" and 4"x6", planters, retaining walls, play structures, edging 11 PLANTING — trees), shrubs, ground cover, hedges WEED & INSECT SPRAYING — 100 gal. and back sprayers LAWN — fertilizing SUPPLIERS OF — peat moss, bonemeal, grass fertilizer, bark chips R. R. 7 Lucknow, Ontario Phone 529-7247 Dungannon Open 7 days a week - 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. 4\42 rni, huron road 111 ILUCKNOW (O CO WINOHAM seed, come visit Our landscape centre and sales office